RTC to provide Lyft rides for disabled transit riders

Disabled transit riders can order a Lyft starting on Monday for on-demand trips to the doctor, grocery store and other errands across the Las Vegas Valley.

The popular ride-hailing company is partnering with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada to test a program aimed at providing flexible service for disabled residents while also reducing the heavily subsidized costs of paratransit service.

The RTC’s board of directors on Thursday unanimously approved a $225,000 contract for the pilot program with Lyft. The program mirrors similar partnerships between Lyft and public transit agencies in Boston, Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Orange County, California.

“We wanted to find better ways to effectively transport customers and enhance their experience while saving money to reinvest back into our system,” said Dan Howland, the RTC’s director of paratransit and specialized services.

The RTC is spending nearly $40 million this year for door-to-door paratransit shuttles, along with transportation services for senior citizen and military veterans, agency spokeswoman Angela Castro said.

Each ride aboard a paratransit shuttle results in a $32 subsidy paid by the RTC to cover contractor, agency overhead and fuel costs. In comparison, each Lyft ride will cost the RTC $15.

RTC officials are projecting 800 to 1,000 monthly Lyft trips will be ordered among the agency’s 17,407 paratransit riders.

Under the program, disabled riders will pay the standard $3 paratransit fare for each trip, while the RTC will cover up to $15. If the total one-way cost exceeds $18, then the rider can opt to pay the additional expense or board a traditional RTC paratransit shuttle.

Rides may be scheduled in advance or requested on-demand through the Lyft app with a special code provided by the RTC. Those without access to smartphones or who require a wheelchair-accessible vehicle can book a ride through the RTC’s customer service line at 702-478-2400 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Lyft executives said the company is training drivers how to assist passengers with disabilities.

“We’re excited to be partnering with RTC on this innovative new program, which for the first time will provide seniors and individuals with disabilities the freedom to book rides in real time, expanding their access to employment, education, healthcare and social activities,” Yacob Girma, Lyft’s Las Vegas general manager, said in a prepared statement.

Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Find @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.